Last week, the Human Rights Campaign announced its 2017 Corporate Equality Index, which rates workplaces on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) equality. For the 9th consecutive year, Symantec earned a 100% score, earning the designation of a “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.”
In honor of this year’s announcement we invited Beck Bailey, Deputy Director, Employee Engagement, HRC Foundation Workplace Equality Program to contribute to Symantec’s #iamtech, a Medium publication that features authors from inside and outside Symantec exploring the experience of minorities and women in the technology industry.
The article “My Year Violating NC’s HB2 as an LGBTQ Workplace Advocate” discusses Beck’s experience, perspectives and insights as an LGBTQ rights advocate with the United State’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization.
The article discusses Beck’s role at HRC as part of the team producing the Corporate Equality Index, the evolution he’s seen in approaches to LGBTQ workplace rights, and the increasing ownership by companies to ensure people of all backgrounds are respected and represented. For example, he cites the increase in companies that earned a perfect score/designation of “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality” from 411 in 2016 to 517 this year.
“You see, these businesses know that LGBTQ equality isn’t just the right thing to do, they know it makes them stronger in the global economy. In an industry as competitive as tech, companies know that to attract, retain and engage the very best workers they must create environments welcoming across the broad spectrum of diversity, including LGBTQ folks. A perfect score on the CEI reflects a company’s commitment to LGBT inclusion — from non-discrimination protections, to equitable and inclusive benefits, to internal competency and external engagement efforts. The index acts as a robust yardstick for measuring the progress of corporate America as ‘employers of choice’ for LGBTQ people.”
Beck also opens up about his own experiences as a transgender male, and what it is like to be integral to one of the leading communities advocating for LGBTQ rights while also experiencing the challenges that still exist for this community.
“All of this to say, my experience of repeatedly flying through HB2 territory while on my way to work with pro-Equality champions in the private sector certainly created an interesting contrast. Every time I had to experience even a momentary hesitation before entering the men’s room at the Charlotte airport, I was bolstered by the knowledge that increasingly LGBTQ inclusion is a key business imperative for our country’s largest and most successful employers.”
You can read Beck Bailey’s article on #iamtech here: https://medium.com/iamtech-series/my-year-violating-ncs-hb2-as-an-lgbtq-workplace-advocate-165171ea7805#.ypjokxav6